Antalya

Visitors come for long beaches on both sides of the city, warm sea from late spring to autumn, and an unusual concentration of ancient sites within a day's drive, from the Roman theatre at Aspendos to the mountain city of Termessos. Antalya suits families, beach lovers, history enthusiasts, golfers and hikers, and it works for winter stays as well as summer holidays. Vacation rentals range from apartments in the city's beach districts and restored houses near the old town to villas and holiday homes in the resort areas of Belek, Kemer and Side.

Where to stay in Antalya

Kaleiçi, the historic centre inside the old walls, is a maze of narrow cobbled lanes and red-tiled Ottoman-era houses running down to the old harbour. It suits couples and first-time visitors who want to walk to the sights, cafés and the marina, though it is busy in summer.

West of the cliffs, Konyaaltı is a long beach backed by a beach park and apartment blocks, with the mountains rising to the west; the water here is a little cooler than elsewhere because of underground streams. It suits families and longer stays with city services close by. To the east, Lara has sandy beaches and a strip of large resort hotels, a good base for beach holidays near the airport.

Beyond the city, Belek, east of the city in Serik district, is known for its golf courses and spas. Kemer, about 43 km to the south-west, sits between the sea and the wooded Taurus foothills, and Side, about 78 km east, combines a resort town with ancient ruins.

Kaleiçi and the old city

Kaleiçi is enclosed by two horseshoe-shaped rings of walls, one of them along the seafront, built and rebuilt from Hellenistic to Ottoman times. The usual way in is Hadrian's Gate, a triple-arched gate raised in honour of the Roman emperor Hadrian, who visited the city in AD 130, and today the only surviving entrance gate in the walls.

Inside, the fluted minaret of the Yivli Minare Mosque, built by the Seljuks and decorated with dark blue and turquoise tiles, has become a symbol of the city. Nearby stand the Karatay Medrese, a theological school founded in 1250, and the Kesik Minare, or Broken Minaret, a building that has served as a Roman temple, a Byzantine church and a mosque. Hıdırlık Tower rises over the cliffs at the edge of the old town, and the Roman-era harbour below is now a marina for yachts and excursion boats.

On the eastern side of the city, the Lower Düden Waterfall drops about 40 m from the cliffs straight into the sea, framed by a public park.

Ancient cities and day trips

Antalya lies at the meeting point of three ancient regions, Lycia, Pamphylia and Pisidia, and their cities are within easy reach. Perge, about 15 km east, was the capital of the Roman province of Pamphylia Secunda and the birthplace of the mathematician Apollonius; its main street had a water channel with cascading pools. Aspendos, about 40 km east, is known for its Roman theatre, built around AD 155 and among the best preserved anywhere, which hosts an opera and ballet festival.

Termessos, a Pisidian city at about 1,000 m on the slopes of Güllük Dağı, lies inside a national park in the mountains north-west of the city and rewards a steep walk with views over the plain. Farther east, Köprülü Canyon National Park offers rafting and the intact Roman Oluk Bridge. To the west, the ruins of Olympos sit in a wooded valley near the sea, and the Lycian Way, a waymarked trail of about 760 km, ends near Antalya at Konyaaltı.

History and culture

Attaleia was named after its founder, Attalus II, and served as a base for his fleet. When his nephew Attalus III bequeathed his kingdom to Rome in 133 BC, the city entered the Roman world and prospered. The Acts of the Apostles record that Paul and Barnabas went down to Attaleia and sailed from there. In Byzantine times it was a major naval station and harbour on the southern coast of Anatolia.

The Seljuk Turks took the city in 1207, and much of the old town's architecture, from mosques and madrasas to baths and tombs, dates from their rule. The Ottomans followed in 1391. After the First World War, Italy occupied Antalya for about three years before it returned to Turkey during the War of Independence.

From the 1970s and 1980s, tourism and migration turned a provincial port into one of the country's biggest cities. The Turkish name Antalya evolved from Attaleia through the older form Adalia, and is not related to the name Anatolia.

Getting there and around

Antalya Airport (AYT) lies about 13 km north-east of the city centre and has two international terminals and one domestic terminal, and is at its busiest during the European summer holiday season. Lara and Belek are the closest resort areas to the airport, while Kemer and Side mean longer transfers.

In the city, the AntRay light rail links the centre with the bus station, the suburbs and the airport, and a nostalgic tram runs along the main boulevard past Kaleiçi and Hadrian's Gate. Municipal buses and dolmuş, privately run shared minibuses, fill in the rest, and passengers pay with a transport card. Within the centre, Kaleiçi and the seafront are easy to explore on foot.

For the ancient sites, canyons and mountain villages, a rental car or an organised tour is the practical choice; traffic in Turkey drives on the right. Entry rules depend on your passport, and some travellers can use Turkey's official e-Visa system, so check before you go.

Weather and when to visit

Antalya has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate with nearly 3,000 hours of sunshine a year. July and August are hot, with average highs around 35°C and nights averaging about 23°C, so plan sightseeing for early morning or late afternoon. Winters are mild, with January highs around 15°C, but they are also the wet season: most of the roughly 1,050 mm of annual rain falls between autumn and spring, often in heavy downpours. Snow almost never settles in the city, though the peaks behind it turn white and the Saklıkent area is used for skiing.

The sea ranges from about 16°C in winter to about 27°C in summer, so the swimming season runs comfortably from late spring to autumn. Spring and autumn are cooler than midsummer, which makes them more comfortable for walking around Perge, Aspendos and Termessos. Winter is quiet and mild, and pleasant for walking the old town and coast.